Times Music continues its foray into the oeuvre of Urdu poetry with its release of Daagh, a twin album of ghazals sung by Shumona Roy Biswas and Roshan Bharti. Daagh-whose real name was Nawab Mirza Khan-lost his father at the age of seven in 1838. Thereafter, his mother remarried Shahzada Fateh-ul-Mulk alias Mirza Fakhru, the son of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. Thus, Daagh had the kind of education usually imparted to princes. His poetry is not confined to romance; it also includes day-to-day experiences. The master poet's work is famous because of its excellent use of idiom, a seductive style of expression and a dexterity with words. Each cassette is priced at Rs 65.

Tourism
Authentic Andhra

To get a true feel of Andhra Pradesh, visit the Manginapudi Beach between February 7 and 10. The beach, 12 km from Machilipatam in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, is the site of the Krishna Utsav. On offer is a range of handicrafts, including Kalamakari fabrics and Kondapalli toys, as well as coastal Andhra cuisine. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Board will be organising package tours from Vijayawada.

TOURISM
Jungle Encounters

It's the first train package tour in the jungle: from Lucknow to Dudhwa National Park to Kishanpur Bird Sanctuary and back to Lucknow. The three-night, two-day package includes train tickets, accommodation at Dudhwa Forest Rest House and a jeep safari at Kishanpur Sanctuary. For more details, log on to www.up-tourism.com or call 0522-228349.

WEBSITE
Presidential Nuggets

You can now take a visual tour of the state rooms and halls within Rashtrapati Bhavan at the click of a mouse. The President's secretariat has launched a new website http://presidentofindia.Nic.In, where one can also see a video clipping depicting the Change of Guard ceremony performed by the President's bodyguard outside the main gate of Rashtrapati Bhavan every Saturday morning. The site displays photographs of the Mughal Garden and works of art, as well as texts of the President's speeches delivered in India and abroad.